Batman UNMASKED: Last Stand
by GoodLuckTroll
Summary: the final chapter in my UNMASKED trilogy  Joker and Riddler are in a bloody gang war that's destroying Gotham. Batman and Co are stuck in the crossfire, and must defeat both of the villains...but this war has an ending like no other
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

Edward Nygma stood at the window. The rusted railings and mouldy, cracked walls of the abandoned factory added to the dark gloom of the place, the dark thoughts going through his mind. Such a genius mind, and yet he wasn't able to the see the betrayal against him almost a year ago. A year ago…

A year ago, Edward had solved the greatest riddle and revealed Batman's true identity to the world. It was only right he was the one to kill Bruce Wayne the night he and the rest of the criminal underworld scorched Gotham City, but of course, the Clown Prince of Crime wasn't going to let that happen. Edward was close, so close that night to achieving the ultimate goal of defeating the Dark Knight Detective, and the Joker went and ruined it all.

Well now, he was going to get revenge on both of them. The Bat and the Clown

Joker ignored the dead body behind him. He was too busy staring into the mirror, reflecting, one would say, on himself. The apartment once belonged to an average citizen, who now lied on the floor, so now it was Joker's.

The news that the Riddler broke out of Arkham Asylum just last night would have put a smile on his face, but the fact that Edward had taken Harley Quinn with him had enraged him. It was one of those rare moments when Joker lost his smile...Riddler will pay for this, for kidnapping the love of his twisted life. Joker brought the smile back, he had a feeling that something big was going to happen, and when big things happen, he's always there.

Bruce Wayne's penthouse was cold and grey as the sun struggled to peek through the grey clouds as it rose on the morning. Bruce, Selina Kyle, Alfred and Kevin Napier all surrounded Commissioner Gordon who sat, bruised, dry blood over his face, on a simple armchair. They all listened carefully to what Gordon had to say.

"Dr. Marshall has been behind it all" he said. "Since the very beginning. He's been the one behind Joker's escapes from Arkham since he first went into that place, he's the one behind Joker being able to find his son"

Kevin half-flinched

"what else?" Bruce asked.

"He wants revenge…on both you" gesturing to Bruce "and the Joker. He wants revenge on Joker because he killed his parents, two of his earliest victims. And he wants revenge on you, because you never decided to kill him, he feels that you've allowed too many people to be killed, because you couldn't kill one person"

Bruce tilted his head.

"It's understandable why he would want to have revenge on me" Bruce said. "But why can't he kill Joker himself, he's had so many chances in the past, instead he let Joker out…and thus, _he_ allowed Joker to kill so many people"

Gordon shook his head "That's the thing I keep getting confused about. I remember he said you need to learn how to kill, just one person"

"And I won't" Bruce said, straightening up. "It doesn't matter how many people Joker has killed, I will never kill. I'll become the very thing I hate"

"It's tough burden you bearing" Kevin said. "I'm amazed you've been able to live by your words after all these years"

"So am I" Selina agreed.

"And I, sir" Alfred joined.

The group were in thought. Bruce looked out the window, across the cloud hidden Gotham City.

"Marshall broke Riddler out of Arkham last night" Bruce said, changing the subject. "They kidnapped Harley Quinn, and I can see why. Edward wants revenge on Joker for betraying him when my identity was revealed, and I can only imagine a gang war is going to erupt between the two…and we're going to be stuck right in the middle of it"

"We?" Kevin said.

Bruce looked at him.

"I won't be able to fight this battle alone. You want to be the Red Hood? Then fight alongside me, learn what it's like out there and be my ally" he turned to Selina.

"You don't have to ask me, Bruce" She said. Bruce nodded and turned back to Gordon.

"I'm going to help Kevin get a suit ready for him. Can I trust you to bring Victor Fries here?"

"Certainly" Gordon said, getting up.

"I'll drive you to Arkham, if you don't mind sir" Alfred offered, Gordon nodded and the two left the penthouse in the elevator.

"Kevin, how does Hailey feel about this?" Bruce asked.

"I…I haven't actually talked to her about it yet. We only had our first date last night until I was called back here" he replied.

Bruce nodded. "She'll have to understand. With Joker and Riddler in a gang war, us in the middle of it and Dr. Marshall orchestrating the whole thing, I can't even imagine how the end will turn out" he said, looking back out the window. "But it won't be pretty"


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Elsewhere in Gotham…

Marshall chewed on the cigar in his mouth as it slowly burned; tasting the mixture from it's contents and the smoke.

He was inside an old abandoned factory, one that had been taken control of by the Riddler and his goons. The boss himself stood on a balcony overlooking the main floor below, standing just in front of Marshall.

"Care for a cigar, Edward?" he asked.

"No thank you, I'm not a smoker" came the reply. He didn't look away from the thugs unpacking shipments of weaponry. Handguns, rifles, grenades, rocket launchers, even a handful of flamethrowers. "It clouds my mind. And with a mind such as mine, it must always be clear" he added.

Marshall chuckled, puffs of smoke drifted from his mouth. "Do you think the Clown would have the same weaponry as you?"

"I wouldn't doubt it. Both of us have our advantages and disadvantages in this coming gang war, but do you know what the difference is?"

Marshall didn't answer.

Edward turned to face the doctor, his golden question mark cane behind his back. "I have the better advantages"

Marshall chuckled again. "And would you include Harley Quinn as your…ransom-like hostage one of these such advantages?"

Riddler turned his head to see Harley Quinn, Jokers love squeeze. She was tied to a chair up against a wall on the lower floor, a gag in her mouth. Her eyes were red from crying.

"Well, that depends on whether Joker actually does love her or not" Riddler remarked.

"True. Come to think of it, I think he'll surprise us all, like always, giving us the unlikely answer" Marshall said.

"Well, kidnapping her already got the Joker angry, if there is such an expression under that smile. He and his circus of clowns have been getting as many shipments as us, and almost as fast".

"And…what of Bruce Wayne?"

"Batman?"

"You still call him by his fake name?"

"Well, It seems that I've known Batman longer than Bruce Wayne. It sounds strange, but hey, I'm branded as insane in this city so it's normal"

"of course. But what of him?"

"Oh, he'll get involved for sure. He always does. Don't worry; I'm sure he'll be beaten in this gang war, be it by Joker or myself"

Bruce, Kevin, Alfred, Selina, Fries and Gordon all stood around a table in Bruce's penthouse. The table was electronic, a holographic map of Gotham City was simulated from it. Gordon was looking better than before and Fries war his cryogenic suit.

"What are…" Gordon started.

"Forgive me" Fries interrupted. "But Bat…Bruce; I don't think I ever thanked you for helping me continue my research in Arkham"

"Your quite welcome Fries" Bruce replied. "Gordon?"

"Yes. What are the likely locations that Joker and Riddler would be hiding?" he asked, waving his hand over the map.

"To be honest, I don't know" Bruce replied. "Any abandoned place in the city, possibly on the outskirts. If they have any base of operations, they'd be far apart from each other".

"They'd be secret" Selina added. "But not for long. Joker likes to make his hideouts flashy and colorful, and I'm sure Edward will leave a riddle or two"

"Um, I thought Bruce was the detective here" Kevin joked.

"Well, I thought it was somebody else's turn for once" Bruce joked back.

They all eyed the map, trying to predict the locations of Joker and the Riddler.

"The gang war, when will it begin?" Fries asked.

Bruce was silent for a moment. He looked out a window, watching the sun go down.

Gordon's phone rang, he answered. "Hello…yes…weapon shop, which one?...all of them?...okay, we'll be right on it" he hung up. "thugs from both sides have been reported robbing weapon shops…and fights are already beginning to break out"

Bruce nodded. "tonight. The war starts tonight" he said. "Gordon, tell the mayor to evacuate the city...find a refuge somewhere away from Gotham, I don't know how long this war will go on for…

But I know it won't end tonight".


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

3 weeks later…

Batman was perched on the point of the tallest building in the city. He looked over Gotham, looked through the smoke and fires that ravaged it, for the second time in less than two years.

Guns fired. Grenades exploded. Criminals laughed as people screamed. These sounds were normal in Gotham City every night, but tonight it was exaggerated. Just like every other night for the past three weeks.

"What's going through your head, Bruce?" came the familiar voice through his ear piece. Oracle.

"Lot's of things Barbara" Batman replied. "Lot's of things"

One week ago, Barbara was forced out of her hideout in the clock tower to Arkham Asylum, just as Alfred was forced out of Bruce's penthouse to the same place. Arkham had become the base of operations for anyone wishing to save Gotham city, and stop the gang war between Joker and Riddler.

Apart from Barbara changing her base of operations, she also had to reveal her secret to her father, Gordon. How she was Batgirl, before the Joker crippled, and had been Batman's ally ever since.

Gordon reacted angrily, punching Batman in the Jaw. And Batman understood his anger, allowing him to throw another punch without fighting back.

But that was a week ago. In this war, Batman and his allies had to depend on each other to win it. Gordon reluctantly forgave Batman.

"What things?" Oracle asked.

"Complicated things. Things that I'd rather not dwell on right now, how's the situation on the ground?"

"Not getting any better. Dad's trying to get back control of the northern island, he's going set up heavy defenses on the six bridges over Sprang River to hold off any attacks from the middle island. Once the defense's are set up…"

"We clear out the Northern Island. Simple, but a smart way to get a foothold in this city…and possibly find the Joker" Batman finished for her.

"Joker?"

"The Island is home to Amusment Mile, one of Joker's favorite places for a hideout"

"You don't think he might be hiding in another apartment? Or will just find the previous owner dead again?"

"I don't know. For now, we'll get this plan underway, where do they need me?" Batman asked, standing up.

"The two bridges leading to Arkham Island are already well defended. Selina and Fries are on the third and fourth bridge and Kevin's on Sprang Bridge"

"I'll head out to help Kevin then. He's a good fighter already, but it's his first night on the job. Have us meet up on the fifth bridge"

With that, Batman dived from the point of the building, opened his cape and soared across the city.

Two armies of criminals stood on either side of Sprang Bridge. The face painted clowns of the Joker, and green wearing thugs of the Riddler. In between them, stood a new player in the war. The Red Hood.

Kevin Napier. The new Red Hood. He wore a dark blue, leather jacket over a bullet-proof vest with a red "H" spray painted on it; over his vest was a shoulder belt with different types of grenades. Smoke, flash bang, frag.

He wore thick, blue jeans which hid bullet-proof leg protection; a large knife was strapped to his right leg. To hide his identity, Kevin wore a red merino mask with protective goggles and a red scarf wrapped around his mouth and nose to hid facial features; the scarf flapped in the breeze behind him.

The Red Hood cocked the gun in his hand. He wore brown, leather protective gloves. Batman always followed the rule not to kill, unless as a last resort. And in this gang war that ravaged Gotham, that last resort seemed to pop up everywhere.

Hood was fine with that. He wasn't so sure on the killing at first, but the last few hours of fighting had him thinking different now.

He looked up and down the bridge. Surveyed the area around him, the clowns on one side and the Riddler's thugs on the other.

Best option was to let them finish each other off, but sooner or later it might get out of hand.

He remembered his training with Bruce from the last three weeks. When the gang war started, Bruce had put Kevin through intense and tiring training whilst the war raged on in Gotham. And now it was time to put it to the test.

If only he was taught how to overcome a situation like this, he thought.

"Alright" he breathed. "Let's see how this plays out".

He ripped a frag grenade from his shoulder belt, pulled the pin and tossed it into the army of clowns. Quickly, he turned his attention to the Riddler's thugs, and fired his gun. The weapon held a surprise; it may look like a handgun, but it was in fact a sub-machine gun; crafty.

Several of the thugs went down. The Grenade exploded and screams echoed out as the clowns were blown off their feet, knives, guns and baseballs bats skidded across the bridge.

Hood threw a grenade at the thugs now, then turned his attention to the rest of the clowns that were now running at him. He reloaded his auto handgun; single handedly, and picked up an Uzi that had skidded to his feet and began unloading it into the clowns.

The second grenade exploded. The thugs went the way of clowns and were blown across the bridge; Hood could've sworn that a limb or two splattered across the gravel.

"That's got em angry now" Hood chuckled. He quickly tore off two smoke grenades and threw one to either crowd. As they exploded, Hood took out a grappling gun given to him by Batman, and fired it at one of the giant arches over the bridge.

He zoomed up to a ledge. He climbed up onto it and had a good view of the battle below him; both sides were at each other's throats now.

He checked his shoulder, and groaned at the sight of the blood pouring out the bullet wound.

"Dammit" Hood grunted. He took out the knife strapped to his leg, and dug it into the wound, gritting his teeth in pain.

"I see your doing well"

Hood turned his head. Batman was already here, kneeling on the ledge.

"Were you here the whole time?" Hood asked.

"Yeah, just seeing how well your first night is going" Batman answered. "It's going well"

"Thanks" Hood thanked, finally digging out the bullet. He panted painfully as it dropped into his hand. He eyed it, then let it drop into the carnage below. "You wanna take over from here, I think there's a few more wounds to take care of" Hood asked, getting ready to leave.

"Sure. Just make sure your at the fifth bridge after"

Hood nodded, and Batman dropped down from the ledge.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Batman landed on a clown.

He felt the bones crack beneath him. He stood still on top of the crushed foe, not having much care for him.

Only a handful of clowns and thugs paid attention to the Dark Knight, the rest continued fighting each other with guns, knives, baseballs and any other weapon they were able to pick up.

"Well lookie here" a clown said. "It's the bat"

"Or do we call him Bruce Wayne?" another said, chuckling.

"Doesn't matter, he'll be called dead in a minute"

Foes from both sides came at Batman.

A clown neared. Batman sucker punched him, and then brought his elbow back into the face of a Riddler thug. Another thug swung a lead pipe; Batman caught it and smashed it back into his face. Another clown came, Batman kicked him in the stomach down and he fell to the ground. Yet another clown was running after, Batman threw the lead pipe and it hit him square in the face. These foes were dropping like flies.

There was a sudden explosion. It came from the Riddler thug's side of the bridge.

There was another explosion and Batman was blown off his feet. He rolled back and quickly stood up; those explosions were rocket propelled.

"Hey batsie!"

Joker.

Batman looked up to see the purple helicopter hovering over the bridge.

"Or do I cal…oh, what the heck, I'll leave it as good ol batsie" Joker laughed from the helicopter, holding the rocket launcher.

A clown snuck up behind Batman. Batman simply punched him out.

What was left of Riddler's thugs retreated, Joker's clowns stay put; cheering on their victory.

"Hey boys, how's the chaos looking down there!" Joker called out to his goons. There was sudden chanting of "JOKER, JOKER, JOKER…"

"And how about you bats? You still got it in you? I'm dying to find out"

Joker lifted the rocket launcher onto his shoulder and was ready to fire. Batman was ready to move, but couldn't. He grunted, and looked at his feet. The Clown he had just punched out had sprayed some sort of gel around his legs that had become rock solid, the bleeding clown chuckled before crawling away. Batman looked back at Joker.

"HA HA, So long batsie!"

Joker pulled the trigger. At the same time, a grappling hook clawed into the body of the rocket launcher and pulled it. the launcher was yanked from Joker's hands, but not before the rocket fired.

The rocket veered off course and headed towards the army of clowns.

There was panic. The clowns made to retreat from the bridge.

The Rocket veered off course again, and as now heading for one of the support pillars under the bridge.

It impacted, and the explosion was larger than the last two. The pillar was blown apart, what was left of it crumbled into the Sprang River below.

Batman grunted, trying to pull his legs free. The whole bridge was about to collapse.

"Not what I wanted, but definitely better" Joker said to himself, watching over the destruction that was about to come. "But still, I thought I had Mr. Zsasz kill off the boy blunder. Who fired that grapple?"

As if to answer his question, someone swung up from under the helicopter and brought his legs to kick joker in the face. The attacker stood, revealing himself to the clown.

"Now what's th…you…you dare mock me?" Joker growled.

"You wanted me to follow in your footsteps old man" Kevin, the Red Hood said.

"Oh…it's you kiddo is it? your finally changing your mind and going to be the heir to th..."

"No, I'm just using the Red Hood as my identity as a hero"

Joker stood, wiping away blood gushing from his nose. "Oh, that's a shame. I was planning on saving this for bats…" Joker revealed his crow bar and jabbed it into Hoods gut. Hood stumbled back, grabbing onto the side of the helicopter so he wouldn't fall "But I guess I can improvise" Joker finished.

The clown brought the crowbar down on his son; the boy grabbed it and pushed Joker back, pulling himself back in. Hood threw Joker into the cockpit, knocking the pilot. The helicopter spun out of control.

Back on the bridge, Batman struggled to break free from the solid gel. He looked towards the end of the bridge closest to him; the support wires were snapping, the other pillar was cracking and so was the road. The clowns were lucky they got away in time, the bridge was collapsing.

Batman looked around. He spotted an Uzi, and picked it up. He started shooting at the solid gel, chunks of it flew off. There was a sudden shake on the bridge, the second pillar collapsed and the road beneath was beginning to crumble into the river.

Batman pulled his legs from the solid gel, and ran. Grappling up to any ledge on the bridge would be a stupid idea; it would just collapse beneath him. So he ran.

In the helicopter which was spinning out of control, Joker and Hood strangled each other. Joker was smiling as madly as ever, and under Hood's mask was anger and hate for his father. They threw each other at the walls of the copter, and were both thrown by the copter itself.

Joker threw Hood's head back at the wall, knocking him near-unconscious.

"I didn't want to have to do this to my own kid, but…" Joker chuckled, and threw the Red Hood out of the helicopter.

"SO LONG KIDDO!" Joker laughed out, as he gained control of the helicopter and flew it away.

Batman looked up. He spotted his ally falling towards the bridge.

The road was falling just behind him; he had to take the risk. Quickly, he took out his grappling gun and fired it at the top of the remaining pillar. Batman was propelled into the air, just as the road collapsed under his feet.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The Red Hood was dazed. Dizzy.

He felt himself being supported by someone. He lifted his head up to see Batman.

"What…what happened" Hood managed to say, looking around the street they were. Like every street, it had been torn apart by the gang war, destroyed in carnage and chaos. Just like it was when Batman's identity was revealed over a year ago, but now it was worse.

Much worse. It was the same for the whole of Gotham.

"You fell" batman replied, walking away from the destroyed Sprang Bridge. "I caught you"

Hood tilted his head.

"It's not the bullet wounds that are hurting, is it?" Batman asked.

"No" Hood replied.

Batman let go of Hood, the young fighter was able to take care of himself now.

"I'm just facing a lot of emotions right now" Hood continued. "anger, desperation…love"

Batman tilted his head. "You'll live to see her" he said. "She was able to escape Gotham with everyone else, she's safe at the refuge. And what's the desperation?"

"Trying to win"

Batman started walking, Hood followed. "And the anger?"

"My father" Hood said, after a pause. "I have a hate growing inside towards him, for who he is…what he is"

"I know"

They passed a street. A group of clowns and Riddler's thugs were in a fight; Batman and Hood left them to their business.

"I've had a similar hatred ever since he first appeared, but I never brought myself to kill him…so many chances"

"and, will that ever change?"

Batman stopped. Hood made another step then looked back at Batman.

"if there was ever a time I'd break my rule of not killing people…it be when I was face to face with the man that killed my parents"

Batman's fists clenched.

"all these years, I thought it was a man named Joe Chill, just some street criminal with no life. But, when I found out that Joker, or rather, who the Joker was killed my parents…something happened"

"What?"

"I broke my rule. Kevin, these past three weeks whilst I have been training you during this gang war, I was often called out into the field…and, I started killing. For the first time ever, I had no care of whether my enemies live or die.

All this stuff that's happened over the past year…it's, changed me"

Hood stared.

"Kevin, do you think…I'm starting to become insane, like my enemies?"

Kevin couldn't answer straight away, all he could do was think.

"No" he said. "You got something to live for, so I wouldn't say your insane"

"Something to live for?"

Hood continued walking, towards the fifth bridge. "I got a girl that I'm fighting to live for, and you have one too"

Batman looked on. He chuckled, he was being taught something by his apprentice; that was a first.

Catwoman, Mr. Freeze and a trio of Gotham SWAT units held off wave after wave of clowns coming from across the bridge, and Riddler's thugs coming from Gotham's Northern island; they were pinned down on the intersection.

Bodies littered the roads around them, and two SWAT trucks were burning on the side of the roads.

Catwoman was 'speed fighting' through the attackers, leading quick kick after quick kick, and the occasional cat claw to the face.

The SWAT trio took out any strays that Catwoman left, shooting them down like flies. All this went on in the street past the bridge

The fight on the bridge, where the majority of clowns were coming from, was taken care of by Mr. Freeze. He fired blast after blast of freezing energy, turning the clowns into ice statues.

It was all too much. They won't be able to hold out for long.

"FREEZE!" Catwoman called out, after clawing the face off a clown. "You have to put a wall up on the bridge"

"I can't!" Freeze called back. "My gun is badly damaged, it's only strong enough for small blasts!"

Damn, Catwoman thought.

One of the SWAT were taken down, shot by a riddler sniper from way down the road that ran along Sprang River. The Sniper readied another shot, and aimed at Catwoman.

"Heh heh, good night kitty" he chuckled.

A bullet suddenly shot through his head. Blood spurted from his forehead as he dropped the sniper rifle and fell to the ground.

A storm of bullets whizzed down the road, taking out the rest of the Riddler thugs and clowns.

"It's about time they showed up" Catwoman grunted, watching as Batman and Red Hood ran towards the battle.

Batman threw a pair of batarangs towards the clowns on the bridge. They both exploded in the middle of the bridge, taking out the clowns.

Hood fired a pair of Uzi's he picked up along the way, taking out the rest of the clowns and Riddler thugs.

The battle was over.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"It took you two long enough to get here" Catwoman said as the allies came together.

"Sorry, run in with the old man" Hood said.

"Joker?"

"he blew up Sprang Bridge" Batman said. "So we don't have to worry about it"

"Then that's all the bridges taken care of" Mr. Freeze said. "We'll get the last defences set up here then proceed to clear out the Northern Island of any Joker or Riddler forces"

"I'll call em in now" one of the SWAT units said, moving away to call in reinforcements.

Batman looked back at the dead sniper, and walked towards him. He kneeled down, and pulled something out the jacket; it was a ticket, with a green question mark drawn on it.

Batman stood. He had to go to Amusement Mile.

"Do you need us to tag along?" Hood asked, he and Catwoman walking up to him.

"No, I'll go this one alone" Batman replied.

"Bruce"

Catwoman pulled Batman into a kiss. Hood nodded and walked away from the couple.

They broke from the kiss. Catwoman rested her head in Batman's chest, he was hugging her.

"Bruce…I know what you'll say if I tell you to be careful" she said quietly. "that you will. But pleae…don't die"

Batman held his surprise. Catwoman was scared. Scared that, he was going to die.

And to be honest, he was scared too.

And just for himself. For everyone.

Amusement Mile. Gotham's rundown amusement park.

Joker often used this as his base of operations. But now, if Batman was right, it was Riddler's. and he had to be right.

Instead of "Ha Ha's", "Joker's'" and smiles painted over the run down rides, here were question marks. Just a lot of green question marks.

Batman stayed vigilant. If it were Joker here, he'd be able predict an attack any time, but Riddler had control now. His attacks would be different, they would be new to this place.

Batman had two batarangs between his fingers, ready for anything.

He stopped walking down the path dirtied with rubbish, corpses and torn fabric from circus tents.

There was no sound. Nothing but a faint wind…and quiet chuckling.

It was coming from the House of Mirrors. Batman followed it, remaining cautious.

The House of Mirrors was empty. he heard the chuckling. It wasn't Riddler's, it wasn't Joker. It was someone else.

"Welcome, Bruce"

The door closed behind Batman. it was pitch black for a second, but dim lights quickly turned on. Batman didn't see his reflection in the mirrors in front of him. He saw…

"Marshall"

"Correct. It's a pleasure to see you again" Dr. Marshall said. His reflection was in every mirror, hands behind his back and smiling behind glasses.

"Tell me, why are you siding with Nygma?" Batman asked.

"Didn't Gordon tell you?"

"He did. But I just need you to confirm it"

"You need to learn, Bruce!" Marshall half yelled.

Batman began walking the maze of mirrors, Marshall eyeing him wherever he went.

"You need to learn to kill, to stop killing. You let the Joker kill so many over the years, so many innocent lives. My parents were two of his earliest, and I have had a burning hatred against him since"

"Then why didn't you try to kill him?" Batman asked.

"Because, I couldn't. I knew I could try, but the clown is more of a genius behind that smile…you know this. If I tried to kill him, he'd kill me first, in the most horrible way. But you…

You, the Dark Knight, have had so many chances. You could of killed him, on so many occasions. Ended his reign of terror. But no, you held back. You always had that one rule, of not to kill…but tell me, has it changed? After Gordon told you, about Joker being responsible for your parents deaths as well, did you change?"

"I did" Batman answered. "If you haven't noticed, I've made a few kills since this gang war started"

"Good then, we're making progress. And…how do you feel?"

Batman stopped. Marshall was trying to get to him.

"Different. Unsure of things" he said.

"Good good. Now tell me, ho…"

"Marshall, why start this war?" Batman asked. "You knew Joker killed my parents, you could have just told me. Didn't you think about the reaction I would have had; hearing that after how long since their deaths?"

Marshall stared.

"Why start this war to kill Joker, when I would of done it myself!" Batman yelled, smashing a mirror next to him.

Marshall chuckled. "Because, Bruce Wayne, I have a hatred for you as well. I have a hatred for this entire city. I worked in Arkham for almost my whole life, studying why criminals and physcopaths do what they do. And my answer was simple…Gotham.

This city has been a cradle of evil and insanity since it was first founded. The people, whether their innocent or not, are fueling it. if ever there was such a place known as hell, this city would be it! This war, is going to destroy Gotham. This war, will end everything that Gotham has ever touched.

But before this city is destroyed, I want to destroy you, Bruce Wayne; Batman. Have you ever noticed that so many criminals are only here because you're here?. I'm going to punish you, and the Joker, for stepping foot on this earth!"

"Marshall, listen to yourself!" Batman yelled. "Your becoming as insane as everything else you want to destroy!"

Marshall tilted his head, and chuckled.

Batman could hear now. The chuckle wasn't normal, it was…insane.

"I hate to admit, but I agree" Marshall said. He lifted his head up. "That's because I've been infected with the very insanity that is caused by this city. The only difference between me and every other lunatic in Gotham, is that I…am the savior"

Marshall's reflection raised his head and arms, trying to look like a holy figure.

"I shall save the world from the evil that Gotham was born with, the evil that it spreads. This war will end all wars, by ending Gotham…

This war, will be the end of you, Bruce Wayne. The end, of the Dark Knight"


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hood was being bandaged by a medic as he sat on a chunk of debris. The middle aged doctor wrapped the soft fabric around the bullet wounds, and used some sort of injected medicine that eased the pain.

It worked well. It felt like there was no wound at all, and side effects; cool medicine, he thought.

Hood watched SWAT tanks roll in to defend the bridge from any more clowns or Riddler thugs that might cross it. The same had been done for every other bridge, the plan to take back the Northern Island worked.

"How is it?"

Hood looked over his shoulder to see Catwoman. Her goggles were on her head, revealing a pair of mildly tired eyes.

"I'm fine" Hood said, nodding to the medic as he finished his work. "Pretty sure that I'll get worse sooner or later, so I won't worry about a little bullet wound"

Catwoman sat next to him. "You're a surprise to me. You learnt almost everything Bruce has to teach you, and you did quicker than any of the three Robins"

"Probably because of the situation were in now" Hood replied, taking off his mask and goggle's, leaving the scarf around his neck. "Where's Freeze?"

"Back at Arkham, getting a new gun" Catwoman replied. "You know, he kind of makes me wonder. That the four of us are fighting for something other than Gotham City" she said.

"What do you mean?"

Catwoman looked at the buildings across Sprang River, the skyscrapers in the middle of Gotham…Wayne Tower.

"Just look at the state of it…do you really think Gotham can be saved, after everything that's happened since last year?"

Hood, Kevin, looked at the city as well.

Since the first night this war started, Gotham had become Hell on earth.

The first night, followers of the Joker and the Riddler fought against each other. So many innocent lives were lost, cars were blown up, buildings were destroyed and every street was filled with what was left behind by the carnage; blood, corpses, car wrecks, gang brawls.

Anything that added to the destruction of Gotham filled the streets.

It was within the first week that military forces surrounded the city. Once all civilians had left the city, the military forces were given permission to shoot on sight. The only way in or out of the city was through Arkham Island, any other route meant death.

Now, three weeks after the first night; the war raged on.

Kevin shed a tear. His home, was dying.

"If it's not the city we're fighting for" he managed to say "then, what is it?"

Catwoman took a deep breath

"Love" she said. "It's all that we have left in this city. You have Hailey, Freeze has Nora and Bruce and I have each other. We're fighting for the people we want to spend our lives with; at least, that' what I've been clinging to these past three weeks"

Kevin nodded. He had to agree.

"Sun's coming up" he said, looking in the direction of the ocean. The sun wasn't going to shine through the smoke that drifted over Gotham, he thought.

Batman stood in a circle of mirrors. The reflections of Dr. Marshall looked at him, unmoving.

"What about the Riddler?" Batman asked. "Will you kill him off too?"

"Oh no, of course not" Marshall replied. "Marshall and I might be insane, but we have great intelligence. A mixture of insanity and intelligence just can't go to waste. Look what I've accomplished; what both of us have accomplished.

Once Gotham is wiped off the face of the planet, we're going to move to another city that must be saved from insanity…I hear Bludhaven is not doing too well right now?"

Batman shook his head. Marshall was a lost cause; his plans were becoming aimless and filled with nothing but death and destruction. Any further and he might become another Joker, and he really didn't need that right now.

"Now Batman, Bruce" Marshall pulled a gun of some sort from his coat. " I bid you farewell". The reflections aimed their guns at Batman; wherever Marshall was, he was aiming a gun at the mirror in front of him.

"So long, Dark Knight"

Marshall fired the gun several times. From almost every direction, lasers deflected off mirrors; speeding from one to another, until the House of Mirrors was filled with them.

Batman was quick. He dodged them from wherever they came.

Marshall's reflections were gone; the mad doctor had left the building.

Batman fired his grappling gun at the ceiling. He zoomed up, dropping an explosive batarang behind him.

Batman retracted the hook, then fired it again at a support running across the ceiling of the House of Mirrors, and swung out a window. There was an explosion behind him, and the House of Mirrors was no more.

He dropped to the ground, rolled and stood up again. He quickly scanned the area for any sight of Marshall.

The motor of a boat was running somewhere. Batman ran to the Amusement Mile wharf, and caught sight of Marshall jumping into a boat with two Riddler thugs. They drove away, water spraying behind them

One of the thugs fired a harpoon without a roped which landed at Batman's feet.

Their was a note tied to it, a green question mark scribbled on the paper. Batman tore the note off, ready to hear the riddle written on it.

There was a map of Gotham City on one side of the paper. Three lines had been drawn to form a triangle, their corners stopping at the three bridges that allowed entry into the city. He turned it over, the riddle read "ONLY THE OPPOSITE IN THIS TRIANGLE WILL LEAD YOU TO ME"

Batman stared at the words. He was lost in this one.

"Bruce, are you there?" Oracle asked through the earpiece

"Yes Barbra, I'm here" Batman replied. "I need to meet Kevin, Selina and Fries at Amusement mile. I have a riddle for them"


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Harley Quinn stared at the ground. It was all she could do.

The Joker's girlfriend was bound to a chair and gagged, all alone in an abandoned factory save for a few Riddler thugs.

Several patrolled the catwalks running across the giant, smashed windows, long range rifles in their hands. Others patrolled other parts of the factory, purely out of boredom. Five remainders sat at a table playing card games, the thugs on patrol had no knowledge of how to play, or no interest to watch.

Finally, the Riddler himself sat on a chair not far from the poker table, turning his bowler hat over and over in his hands. Nygma suddenly received a message on his phone, and stood up, leaning on his cane.

"Look lively gents" he called out, catching everyone's attention. "The Dark Knight detective has received our, invitation, and it won't be long until he arrives here"

There was cheering and laughter amongst the thugs; they were ready for a fight.

Riddler gave orders to three of the thugs at the poker table. "You, contact any of our guys in the area, tell them to come here. You, open up our armory. And you…

Take dear Harley Quinn to the top floor"

"You want me to wait inside or take her right out onto the roof?" the thug asked.

"No, just inside. I'll let you know when we take her onto the roof" Nygma said, smiling at Harley Quinn.

The poor girl looked up with saddened eyes.

The sun had just risen over the ocean beside Gotham. The city looked worse in the day, if anyone could call it that. The sun didn't shine through the smoke, and the city was hidden in a cloud of grey; it was near impossible to see 20 meters in front of you.

Batman, Red Hood, Mr. Freeze, Catwoman and Commissioner Gordon all stood in a circle. Batman held the paper in his hand for them all to see, one side with a map of Gotham, the other side was a riddle.

"Only the opposite in this triangle will lead you to me" Freeze murmured.

"The opposite, is that some trigonometry thing?" Gordon asked.

"I don't know" Batman answered. "It could be anything"

"Do you think opposite would mean flipping the triangle over?" Hood asked.

"No, I don't think it would be simple as that" Batman answered, then paused. "Then again, if the triangle were flipped over, the most prominent place the new point would be is the Aparo Expressway"

"That's a bridge going over Miller Harbor isn't it?" Catwoman asked.

"Correct"

"I agree, it's too simple. It has to be something to do with trigonometry, we need to find the opposite in this triangle"

"Yeah, but there's no…you know, starting point that we can build off" Hood argued.

"He's right" Gordon agreed.

"Vauxhall" Batman said.

"What?"

"the Vauxhall concert centre near the Vinxefinkel Bridge, it's the only one of the bridges with a landmark near it" Batman explained. "So that's our starting angle. The opposite is this line running through Old Gotham"

"But it doesn't point anywhere" Freeze said. "So there has to be more to it"

"Hang on. There's been three places mentioned already, Vauxhall, Aparo Expressway and Old Gotham" Gordon explained.

"A second triangle!" Catwoman half yelled. "But, Old Gotham isn't a landmark, it's just…the downtown of Gotham"

"Crime Alley" Batman said. "It's the best known place of interest in Old Gotham"

Gordon handed Batman a pen; he started drawing the second triangle.

"Okay, now let's find the opposite in this" Hood said. He scanned the map. "Obviously our angle isn't the expressway, so we have Crime Alley and Vauxhall"

"Crime Alley, it's the only place that has a connection me. Vauxhall has no connection to either me or Nygma"

"So…the opposite is this line going through the South Island. It still doesn't point anywhere" Gordon said.

"Unless" Hood said, taking the paper and pen. He drew on the map, connecting the two opposite lines to make a square, then drawing an X in the middle; a crosshairs of sorts. "That's where he is" Hood said, pointing to where the lines of the X crossed; a building in Mid Gotham.

"What's that building?" Gordon asked.

"An old factory" Catwoman answered. "I robbed it once and Freeze here turned it into an ice age ((freeze chuckled)), since then, the place has been abandoned".

Batman nodded. He turned and walked towards the SWAT van Gordon came in, opened its back doors and revealed the Bat-bike inside. He wheeled it out, turning on the engine.

"Hey" Gordon said, coming towards Batman. "how come you didn't give the answer to that riddle straight away?"

Batman looked at Hood, in conversation with Freeze and Catwoman.

"I was giving the kid a chance" Batman replied.

"What, a chance at being detective?"

"Yeah" Batman paused. "Jim, when all this is over…I, may not be there" he said quietly.

"Be there? What do you mean?"

Batman took a deep breath. "I may not survive this war. I can see it, I'm already starting to crack, already…going to that place"

"Don't say that"

"It's going be the end of me" Batman continued, ignoring Gordon's words. "And Gotham will need a new hero" he explained, nodding at Hood.

"He's just a boy" Gordon argued.

"So was I, when I first started. So were the Robins. Jim, I'm going to save this city, but the payment is going to be my life"

Jim opened his mouth, and then closed it. "I understand, he's your successor" he said. "This war is going to be the end of you Bruce…the end of Batman

Gordon offered a hand. Batman gladly shook it, and then mounted the bat bike.

"So, your not still angry about Barbara?" he asked.

Gordon chuckled. "She told me it was her choice. To be honest, I'm proud that she chose to fight along side you"

Batman smiled. He looked up at the smoke covered sky. Batman, Bruce Wayne, never really thought of it until now but…

He never took the chance to admire the sun.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Joker sat on an ugly, colorful throne. It was made from junk, and painted with cheap paint.

There was a long hall in front of him, the hall of the cathedral he had taken over. The statues of angels were either destroyed or graffitied over, the crosses and anything holy smashed to bits.

Instead of rows of wooden seats, there were tables set out. Weapons lay on top of them; guns, grenades, rocket launchers, and a few explosives hidden in presents.

Joker flipped the card over in his hand as the clowns that crowded the hall went about their business; one came running up to him.

"Joker" he panted. "Our little snoop heard in on a conversation between the bat and his friends…they're going after Riddler"

Joker flicked the card to his left. It impaled a photo of Edward Nygma that hung on the wall; several playing darts were stuck in it. The clown prince of crime chuckled.

"Good work, my boy" Joker congratulated, looking up. "Where do we find our old pal Eddie?"

The bat-bike was loud as Batman sped it through the city. He ignored any Joker or Riddler goons that fought against each other in the streets, or tried to take pop shots at him.

Catwoman and the others were being transported to the factory in SWAT vans. Batman was going to head right in while the others and an army of SWAT surrounded the area, he would take out any resistance that might cause casualties, then they move in.

Simple plan, but it works.

Edward Nygma stood on the balcony that was nearest to the factory ceiling. He overlooked the main processing room of the place, his thugs on strict patrol everywhere; inside and outside.

Snipers and thugs with rocket launchers were at the windows and the roof, and any nearby building that had a good view of the factory. On the catwalks running through the factory and on the bottom floor, thugs were equipped with deadly, heavy rifles. Outside on the ground they were also equipped with heavy rifles, but also grenades and other explosives.

Marshall walked a short set of steps towards the Riddler.

"Nice defences" he admired. "I'm glad they know my face, I wouldn't want to be shredded to death by one of these guns"

"Neither would the clowns" Nygma added.

"Clowns?"

"Yes. I didn't just want Batman and the rest of those fools coming here, but Joker as well. I'm going to do away with both my enemies, very soon"

"How will Joker know where you are?"

Nygma chuckled. "What flying insect can burn and still live?"

Marshall tilted his head. "Firefly" he murmured. "But, I thought Firefly was working for Joker"

"That's what Joker thinks, but I gave him the better deal"

"What?"

"He can burn the remains of the Dark Knight Detective and his friends. Joker wants to burn the remains himself, and Firefly wasn't too happy with that. So, what ever information get's passed to Joker, is passed to me. Of course, I get all the information"

Marshall smiled. "you truly are the greatest enemy of Batman"

Riddler looked proud. "I am. And yet, that clown thinks he's better than me…and, there is one other who thinks he's better than me as well"

"Who?"

Riddler suddenly swung his cane and brought it down on Marshall's shoulder. The doctor yelled in agony as he collapsed to the ground, grabbing his broken shoulder.

"What the hell…" he grunted.

"I told you, Firefly gives me all the info I need to hear" Nygma said, squatting down to face Marshall. "And from what I heard, over in Amusement Mile, you want to use me to…cleanse the world of insanity?"

"Yes, Nygma. Together, we can save this world!" Marshall yelled, eyes wide

"Marshall, the last thing I want to do is save this world" Nygma said, standing back up. "When this war is over, Gotham will be mine. I will have control over some of the most feared criminals in the world; Penguin, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and even Bane have pledged allegiance to me, and that's just a few…speaking of Bane"

Two thugs grabbed Marshall off the floor, holding on tight to him.

"He lent me a fair dose of Venom, and I'm just dying to use it on someone"

Marshall's face turned from pain to fear.

"No. No, Nygma I beg you. Please!" he begged. The thugs took the screaming man away.

Riddler smiled a wicked smile, turning back to look over the factory.

Everything was coming together.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Batman was too vulnerable for his liking. He stood on top of a tall building overlooking the block around Riddler's Factory; he could make out the image of several snipers through the smoke. There were handfuls on top of the Factory itself, and one on each building around the factory.

Outside the factory, its property and the surrounding road, was also heavily defended.

Batman was an easy target in this light; He had to improvise.

"Need help?"

Batman turned his head to see Catwoman walking up behind him.

"For once…yes" he said.

"You never really planned on fighting in the middle of the day like this, did you?"

"No, not really"

"Well then, your lucky I made a few day time burglaries years ago. Stay here until I give you the signal"

"What's the signal?"

Catwoman leaped from the building. "You'll see!" she called back.

Batman shook his head. God, he loved that woman.

….

George kept a sharp eye on the factory from the rooftop. He's been beaten to a pulp by Batman many times before, he knew him well enough to know what strategy he'd be taking. In this light, Batman would be heading straight in. yep, that was Batman's plan for sure.

He kept the sniper rifle close to his chest. He was ready to claim the kill for Batman, whether Riddler wanted the kill himself or not.

Suddenly something strangled him around the neck. He struggled to pull it off, but it pulled him down. He dropped the rifle, it hit the roof without going off.

George was dragged back towards his attacker. He looked up into the face of Catwoman.

"You bitch" he managed to grunt

"Now that's not nice" She said, and stomped her boot into his face, breaking his nose.

Catwoman left poor George with a broken, bleeding nose. Catwoman cart wheeled out of the way of sniper bullets that whizzed past her, hiding behind the buildings roof access room.

The rain of bullet's whizzing past and making impacts on the attic wasn't the only sound she could hear, there were helicopters coming in. she looked up and saw a dozen of them, all painted purpled and bearing the Joker's face.

"Oh hell" she mouthed.

….

Batman frowned.

He should have expected it; he should have known Joker would show up sooner or later.

Clowns fired mounted turrets from two of the helicopters, taking out the snipers and raining death down on the ground. Well, at least that's taken care of.

Batman took out two explosive batarangs and threw them. They flew to one of either turret helicopters. One hit, destroying the helicopter and sending its remains to the ground. The other missed, going off course and blowing a hole in a building across the block.

Damn, that was the last of his explosive batarangs.

A bolt of blue energy suddenly fired from somewhere on the ground. It froze the helicopter and it fell to the ground, smashing into pieces on impact.

Nice work Freeze.

The other helicopter were landing around the factory, clowns pouring out of them. A battle between clowns and Riddler thugs ensued, and it became bloody quickly.

One helicopter, much larger than the rest, remained hovering over the factory.

"No one shoot that chopper down" Batman spoke into his wrist communicator. "It's Joker, leave him to me"

Replies of affirmation quickly came.

"Freeze, build an ice wall around the factory and block them in. Hood, protect him"

More affirmative replies.

"Gordon, get the forces ready around the factory. I'll let you know when to destroy the wall. Selina…we're going in"

….

Nygma was quiet. Gunfire, explosions, yelling and swearing came from outside.

"'Where the hell did he get all those choppers?" a thug asked, sweating.

"It doesn't matter. It'll only make things more interesting" Nygma chuckled. He looked over the balcony, straight down. "Is Marshall injected with the Venom yet?" he called out.

"Yeah boss" a thug called back. "And he ain't too happy"

"When Batman and Joker are both on the ground…set him loose"


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Batman watched the carnage below.

Things were getting out of hand quick, too quick.

"Everyone" Batman spoke into his wrist communicator. "The plan won't work now. We're going on full attack, clear the grounds and wait until I give the order to head into the factory".

And with that, Batman leaped from the building and was diving towards the ground. As he came near the third storey, he spread out his cape into wings and glided towards the factory; Clowns and Riddler thugs immediately began shooting at him.

Batman did mid air somersaults and spins, avoiding the thousands of bullets whizzing past him. He landed on top a thug, crushing him into the ground. He immediately threw punch after punch at the clowns and thugs running at him.

They were taken out one after the other. Beaten down by elbow attacks, kicked in the gut, their lead pipes and baseballs bashed back into their faces.

Batman picked a clown up and threw into the crowd. A gap was made as the attackers toppled over each other, he seized the opportunity and threw a pair of batarangs out; they hit their targets scare in the face, knocking them out. Batman then rolled into the gap and leaped back up with his legs pummeling a riddler thug down.

The gap behind him quickly closed back up, either clowns or thugs surrounding him, or fighting each other. He was surrounded by chaos. That's fine; he lived over two decades in it.

On the other side of the factory, the Red Hood began his attack.

He fired twin hand guns into the crowd. Clowns and thugs went down in pools of blood.

A clown with a sub machine gun took aim at Hood. Hood rolled under the sudden flurry of bullets, came up beside the attacker and kicked the gun out of the clown's hands. He caught the gun and smacked the butt of it into the previous owner, sending him to the ground. Hood twisted his body side to side, pouring bullets into the guts and faces of his targets.

The gun clicked; out of ammo. He threw it away

A clown with some oriental background stood standing amongst the dead bodies. He held a katana, giving Hood a death stare.

"Eh" Hood said, taking out the knife strapped to his leg. "I always wanted to fight one of these guys"

The two observed each other; studied their opponent.

The clown suddenly raised the katana above his head, yelling as he charged at Hood.

Hood stood still, knife held in front of him. As the clown neared, Hood took out his handgun and shot the clown in the face; the clown back flipped and the katana skidded to Hood's feet.

Hood picked it up. It was a good sword; he liked it.

Around the corner from Red Hood's position, the battleground was being frozen.

Mr. Freeze stood on top of an overturned truck and turned everyone and everything that charged at him into ice; there was nothing that could get through to him.

He hopped down from the truck and walked towards the factory. There was no resistance; all of his foes were frozen.

As he neared the factory, he spotted a large, brutish looking Riddler thug waddling towards him. The thug was carrying a machine gun turret that looked like it weighed a ton.

Freeze wasn't in range to freeze the thug, but the thug would soon be in range to tear him apart with that turret. If Freeze moved towards him, he'd be dead in a second.

Freeze looked up. He was standing near one of the factory chimneys, which towered right over the factory itself; he smiled. Freeze touched his gun to the chimney and fired, the lower half of the chimney quickly turned to ice.

Satisfied, Freeze pounded a strong fist into the ice and it cracked. He frozen chimney started to crack and sway, suddenly it fell.

Shards of ice flew across the factory grounds as the chimney came crashing down onto the turret wielding thug.

"A good way to break the ice" Freeze chuckled.

On the roof, Catwoman watched over the battle. Her skills weren't made for a fight like this, so she decided to find the Riddler inside the factory.

Before she could head into a vent beside her, a purple helicopter suddenly hovered over the factory.

The door's opened and Joker revealed himself, spotting Catwoman.

"What's up pussycat?" Joker called out. He lifted a rocket launcher onto his shoulder, aiming it at Catwoman. "Time to take a cat nap!" Joker laughed out, and fired a rocket.

Catwoman leaped from the roof. It exploded behind her, twisted bits of corrugation and chunks of debris flying after her.

Catwoman turned in the air to face the factory. She whipped her whip at one of the outdoor balconies and it caught onto one of the railings, she swung towards the factory and landed on the balcony below the one her whipped had latched onto.

"Here kitty kitty"

A Riddler thug with a sniper rifle was already on the balcony, and took aim at Catwoman.

Catwoman jumped; legs wide apart. The thug fired and the bullet whizzed under her, she closed her legs around the thugs' head and knocked him out.

Catwoman tugged on her whip and pulled it down. Another thug came around the corner ahead of her, a 4x2. Catwoman cast out her whip, it tangled around the thugs' neck and she pulled him towards her as he struggled to get free. Catwoman high kicked the thug in the throat as he neared and he was out cold.

"Sorry boys, but this kitty's taken" Catwoman taunted, pulling her whip off from her foe.

Back down on the ground, Batman beat down his last foe.

Panting, Batman looked around for any more clowns or Riddler thugs. There were none, the rest were being cut up by Red Hood and his newfound katana, or frozen by Mr. Freeze.

Catwoman leaped down from the balcony and joined batman by his side. The other two soon joined up.

The battle was over.

"don't think this all over so soon!"

They looked up, and saw Joker hanging out of a helicopter. He fired a rocket from his rocket launcher, it was heading towards the hero's.

Mr. Freeze fired his gun at the rocket. The rocket froze, fell and shattered on the ground.

Batman fired his grappling gun. It impaled the helicopters tailed and he pulled, the helicopter spun out of control towards the ground.

The helicopter crashed and skidded across the ground. The propellers all broke off and flew across the factory grounds; the wreck of the helicopter stopped in front of the hero's.

Dust circled around the wreckage, but Batman could make out the shadow of Joker.

….

Inside the factory, there was a loud roaring on the ground floor.

"Marshall isn't looking happy boss" a thug told Riddler, who was heading for the roof access room.

"of course not" Riddler agreed. "He's just been injected with Venom, the same formula that gives Bane his super human strength"

"No, I mean like he's out of control. He's just torn apart half the guys holding the chains around him, and we tried to get him to talk, all he's doin is roaring…are you sure the person who takes that stuff is still in control of themselves?"

Riddler squinted. He took out the vial of Venom he had taken from Bane, something was wrong. The Venom was not it's normal color of green.

Riddler chuckled. "Well played Bane" he said. "It seems that the Venom Bane gave us was not complete. Marshall is on a highly concentrated but unfinished dose of Venom. Set him loose now, and get anyone left out of the factory" he ordered, continuing for the roof access room. "But lure Joker in here, he's girlfriend is dying to see him"


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Joker coughed as he stumbled around the wreckage of the helicopter, blood dripping down his head.

"Well, cough. How's that for a smooth landing, cough cough?" he asked the clown pilot. He looked down and saw the corpse. "Oh right. A smidge more smooth for me, but that's because I listen to the rules and wear a seatbelt"

He was grabbed around the collar and slammed against the helicopter. He grabbed onto the arms of Batman, holding him up.

"Oh yeah, here we go with your rules again" he laughed, smiling.

"I got some new material" Batman growled. "I don't play by my rules anymore"

"I noticed. A few of my clowns had batarangs in their heads…not a pretty sight"

"You'll be going the same way soon. Don't push me today, Joker" Batman warned.

Joker chuckled. "Of course not"

Batman turned his head towards the factory. Something caught his attention.

Hood and Freeze kept their guns aimed at the main doors; Catwoman tightened her grip on her whip.

A loud roar came from behind the doors.

"I didn't know Bane was joining the party" Joker said.

"It's not Bane" Batman said, letting go of Joker. The clown dropped to the ground.

"Your letting me go?" he asked.

"I'll deal with you later" Batman said, turning his attention to whatever was about to come out of the doors.

Joker chuckled. "If you want to catch up for the after party, it'll be in Wayne Tower…you know where that is right?"

Batman didn't move.

"First, I need to get my gal" Joker said, and made for a detour to the other side of the factory.

When Joker was long gone, the doors flew open. One flew across the factory grounds, the other skidded away from it's place. Standing in between them was a large, hulking figure; it was growling.

The beast stomped out of the factory and revealed itself. Batman was able to make out the facial features of Dr. Marshall, now twisted into an ugly monster. His clothes were torn, revealing an ugly, over muscled body.

"Hey Bruce" Hood said, stepping back a bit but still keeping his aim. "You didn't teach me how to fight monsters…so how do we fight monsters?"

"Just give it everything you got" Batman replied, and he charged.

Marshall charged at Batman, the two were heading for a head on head collision course.

As the beast neared, Batman jumped, grabbed Marshall's head and pulled himself over. The beast grabbed for Batman but failed; Batman landed behind Marshall and fired his grapnel gun. The claw impaled Marshall's shoulder, the beast roared in pain as blood ran down his back.

Batman pulled, hoping to pull Marshall over. Marshall grabbed the steel roped and gave it a mighty tug, pulling Batman and sending the dark knight flying over him. Batman through a pair of batarangs that impaled Marshall's chest, they did nothing to cause much harm.

"Damn" Batman grunted as he rolled back to his allies. He quickly stood back up. "Someone else take a turn"

"I'll go" Hood said, running up to the beast.

Hood fired both of his handguns at Marshall; bullet's hitting him in the chest, arms and legs. He slid them back into their holsters and took out his newfound katana.

Marshall punched at Hood, Hood slid under the giant arm. Marshall threw another punch below him just as Hood slid under the hulking beast, cutting both legs as he went. Hood flipped over and stood up to watch Marshall fall to his knees, blood pouring from his legs.

Catwoman was already taking her turn. She jumped over Marshall, clawing away a swinging arm, and landed behind him. She flung her whip out and it tangled around Marshall's neck.

"Hood, help" she called out. Hood quickly grabbed the whip and helped Catwoman hold Marshall down.

"Freeze, your turn" Batman said.

Freeze nodded and fired his gun. Ice quickly formed around Marshall's body as he was frozen.

"Make sure it's thick enough so he can't break through" Batman added.

Freeze added a second and third layer of ice over Marshall, Catwoman and Hood let go of the whip.

The allies waited. And waited.

The ice cracked, Marshall was breaking free.

"Damn" Freeze grunted.

"Here, freeze this" Batman said, holding a batarang in front of him.

Freeze turned his gun down to a weaker setting, and added a layer of ice to the batarang.

Batman examined it. The edges were sharp, much sharper than any other of his batarangs.

He gripped it tightly, and steadied his aim.

Marshall broke his arm out of the ice, and then the other.

Batman waited.

Marshall used the arm to break the ice around his body. When the ice was gone, he let out a mighty roar.

Batman threw the batarang.

I neared the beast, and then there was silence.

The roaring stopped.

Blood poured from a deep hole in Marshall's chest, where his heart would be; the frozen batarang had gone straight through. Marshall tilted his head, and fell to the ground; he was dead.

….

"Damn" Riddler grunted, watching the battle from a high window in the factory. "I didn't think it'd be over so quickly"

"Neither did I"

Riddler turned his head to the left.

"It was looking to be a great show, but it was just too short. Don't you think Eddie?" Joker chuckled. He had been standing beside the Riddler the whole time.

Riddler growled and swung his cane.

Joker ducked under, the cane cracked the wall. Joker punched Edward in the gut, he stumbled back. Joker grabbed him by the collar and was smiling right into his face.

"Now then, I got some things to clear up with you" Joker said. "I would of let you go from the very beginning of this war, but you stole my Harley and that, well, that just really pissed me off. But…

It does kind of make us even after I took over as leader when we first pulled the mask off the Bat without telling you. But you should have seen that coming, only I can be the one to best the Bat, I am his greatest enemy"

Edward scoffed. "You, greatest enemy of Batman? Now that's a good joke for once!"

"I wasn't joking"

"What, you really think you're his greatest enemy?"

"Well duh, Eddie, I thought you would know that" Joker threw Edward into the wall and stood over him.

"I created him, hiring some street bum to kill his parents. He created me, dropping me into that vat of chemicals and putting this smile on my face. Both of us have had so many chances to kill each other in the past, so many chances wasted; we're equals. You…you're just some math nerd who thinks telling everyone what his plan is is a good idea"

"It's a test. A test on their intelligence, to prove…"

"Oh, don't give me that old crap, Eddie. Now, where's Harley?" Joker demanded, aiming a gun at Riddler's head.

Riddler stared, anger building up inside him. "Rooftop" he said.

Joker smiled. "Thanks" he said. And pulled the trigger.

Riddler winced as a "BANG" flag appeared from the gun.

Joker laughed out loud as he walked away. "By the way, I'm having an after party at Wayne Tower. Your invited" Joker called back.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Harley tried to peak over the edge of the factory.

Something just happened on the grounds, and she wanted to see. She couldn't stretch her neck far enough to see.

Harley was tied to a small chimney on the factory rooftop, two Riddler thugs guarding her.

"Damn, that was something" one said.

"Was that Mr. Freeze? I thought he was a bad guy" the other asked.

"Forget Freeze, who the hell's the one with the red mask?"

"How about, who the hell's the green haired, white skinned man who just threw cards through our hearts?"

The thugs turned. Something sharp shot through each of their chests, they winced, groaned, and fell.

Harley widened her eyes and turned to see her Mister J.

"Harley my dear, I'm so sorry" Joker apologized as he untied the ropes.

Harley immediately threw her arms around Joker and kissed him, Joker holding her.

"Oh, Mister J" she cried, breaking off. "You found me"

She dug her head into Joker's chest, Joker stroking her blonde, pig tailed hair.

"Your safe now, Harley. Your safe." Joker whispered. "Now, we have an after party to attend to Harley. And this one, oh ho, this one might be the last party we ever have for Gotham…so it's gonna be big"

….

Batman and his allies and Gotham Swat crews scanned the entire factory. No sign of the Joker or Riddler, or any of their goons were left; it was deserted.

Batman found a note with a green question mark nailed to a door. A riddle

He ripped the note off the door and read the riddle on the back.

THE WAYNES WILL END WHERE THEY BEGAN. WHERE AM I?

Batman scrunched the note in his fist. Wayne Tower.

"Are we going?" Catwoman asked from behind him.

Batman looked back, and nodded.

"Gordon" he called.

Gordon, not too far away, looked.

"Can you set up a perimeter around Wayne Tower?"

"How many blocks away?" Gordon asked.

"Two, maybe three"

"Bruce!" Oracle called.

Batman put her on loudspeaker.

"Go Barbara"

Gordon moved in closer.

"There's something really fast homing in on your positions at the factory. Something small, but airborne"

"Firefly" Batman muttered. "Gordon, get everyone out of the factory and away from it now!"

Gordon gave the orders. Batman and his allies and every police officer and SWAT unit were suddenly running from the factory.

Batman was halfway across the grounds when something whooshed over the grounds. A burst of fire spewed from it, burning whatever clown or Riddler thugs lay dead. Police and SWAT screamed in pain as they were enveloped in the flames, there was nothing that could save them.

Batman looked back to watch as flames burned the factory to the ground, he and his allies were out of harms way now.

"Well, that makes it easy for the cremations" Hood said.

No one else said anything.

Batman spotted Firefly. He was flying away towards Wayne Tower.

"Joker, Riddler, Harley and Firefly" he said.

Freeze, Catwoman and Hood turned their heads.

"There's one for each of us…all waiting at Wayne Tower"

"Is that where were going?" Catwoman asked.

"It's where your going…and I'll meet up. Look at this city, look at what's become of it"

They all looked around. They all observed the roads, destroyed cars and trucks and corpses littered everywhere. The buildings, burnt, half destroyed and graffitied. The sky, hidden by smoke, and here and there was a fire burn.

Gotham was dying. Hell, it might as well be dead.

"Can it be saved?" Freeze asked. "Is there still hope for Gotham?"

Batman tilted his head. "A year ago, Gotham was turned into this in a single night. After I had beaten that night, I thought that no one would return…but they did. The citizens of Gotham came back from refuge and returned to their homes, and with my identity revealed they thanked me. Thanked me that I was able to protect them again, despite the situation.

And now, were in that situation again. The four of us are fighting for something, and so is every other cop here. Gordon, I know, is fighting for Barbara. These cops are fighting so they can return home with their families, here in Gotham. This city will not fall so long as were here to protect it"

He looked up at the sky. It was getting dark. Night was falling.

"So, Wayne tower is it?" Catwoman asked. "Nice, I always wanted to see you at work?"

Batman looked down again, and couldn't help but smile.

"And where are you going now?" Hood asked.

"Gotham cemetery…to see my parents. When I return…we make our stand Gotham, our last stand"

And with that, Batman left them. Some SWAT members bought his bike to him, and he mounted it.

Something was on his mind when turned on its engine. He wanted to say that when he visited his parents' grave, it would be for the last time.

Tonight, Batman would make true of his words. Tonight, was his last stand.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The cathedral was covered in paint left behind by the joker.

Gun crates, ammo boxes and body armor were scattered around its outer wall; not the kind of thing to be leaving around such a holy building.

Batman walked behind the cathedral to the graveyard.

A sigh of relief, Joker and his clowns were respectful enough to leave them alone.

He stopped in his tracks and took that last thought back

The grave of Thomas and Martha Wayne had balloons tied around it and a few birthday cards with smiling faces of the Joker littered around it.

He kneeled down and opened one

"JUST PAYING MY RESPECTS, BATS"

Batman grunted and scrunched the card up. He ripped the balloons off and tossed every card away from the grave. Anger had quickly built up inside him, he was panting hard and felt like he would collapse, using the gravestone to support him.

"I'm sorry" he cried, a hand over his face. He took his cowl off to reveal a bruised and dry-bloodied Bruce Wayne. "I'm sorry".

The hand slid down his face and he used both to support himself; he sighed.

"I don't know what you think of me, mum and dad" he breathed. "I made vows, rules, not to kill anyone. Anyone, regardless of how terrible their crimes are. I've…I've broken my vows, my promise to you"

He tilted his head.

"I want you to forgive me. For everything; and I don't what has me thinking this but…I'm going to see you very soon" he said, lifting his head back up. "Until then…I want you to be beside me in this battle, my last battle…my last stand"

At those words, he rested his head on the top of the gravestone for a moment, tears running down his cheeks. He took a deep breath, and stood back up. He took two roses out from under his cape and laid them at the gravestone.

After another moment, he slipped his cowl back on, turned, and left the graveyard.

….

The road leading to Wayne Tower was the same as it was a year ago.

Trashed cars, corpses, debris; the same as every other street.

The buildings looked worse than last year though. Last year, graffiti was all the buildings got. This year, they looked as if they were on the verge of collapsing, cracks, burns and giant holes were riddled through them.

At the end of the road, opposite from Wayne Tower; Mr. Freeze, Red Hood and Catwoman all stood and waited for Batman.

They all eyed the towering building ahead of them, not saying a thing. Hood checked his guns and examined his new found katana; Freeze checked his gun as well and Catwoman just stayed quiet.

They turned. Batman arrived on his bike, riding it slowly towards them. He dismounted the bike and joined them; they shared looks, and nodded.

Hood put his hand out in front of him. Freeze put his on top of Hood's and Catwoman on Freezes'. Batman paused, and then put his hand on top of all of them.

"For Hailey" Hood said.

"For Nora" Freeze said.

"For…Bruce" Catwoman said, sharing a glance with Batman.

Batman tilted his head. "For us" He said. "For everyone, for Gotham"

And with that, they broke away and headed for Wayne Tower.

….

Gordon was three blocks away. A safe distance away from the carnage he just knew was about to erupt.

Barbara was beside him, looking nervous; Alfred was too.

"When this fight is over…nothing will be the same" Barbara breathed.

Alfred was quiet, and so was Gordon.

Gordon looked behind him, and saw a familiar face. A few familiar faces in fact.

It was the Justice League.

"Why didn't you help!" he suddenly yelled and charged at Superman. Alfred held him back, the old butler had some fight in him.

"Sir" he grunted. "Please, you have to hear something"

"Dad" Barbara yelled.

Gordon stopped.

"We asked them not to help" she said.

"Why?" Gordon asked.

"Because Batman asked us not to get involved" Superman said.

"What? Why, he needed the help" Gordon half yelled.

"Because" Wonder Woman started. "If we got involved in something such as this, what happened a year ago, every one of our enemies would have come here"

"The rest of our identities would have been at stake" Green Lantern said. "Gotham would have been at the mercy of every super villain in this world"

It was Flash's turn "Metallo, Toyman, Black Adam, Captain Cold…"

"Lex Luthor" Superman spoke again. "And not just from earth, but our enemies from across space like Sinestro and Thanos would of responded. Just imagine, all that chaos erupting in Gotham"

"It would of spread from Gotham to other cities. Eventually, the whole world could have been dragged into this" Barbara told her father.

"I…I don't know what to say" Gordon muttered.

"Batman made a brave sacrifice to fight this alone. We still cannot get involved, but we will stand here and watch a great hero make his stand" Superman reassured Gordon.

The members of the Justice League that had come here looked to the top of Wayne Tower.

They all hoped for Batman to win this fight.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

As batman and his allies neared Wayne Tower, something came flying in from behind them.

"Firefly!" Batman warned. They all rolled out of harm's way, a trail of fire was left where they stood.

"You will all burn" Firefly threatened as he turned to face them, hovering above the road.

"Go" Mr. Freeze ordered, standing back up. "He's mine".

Batman paused as Red Hood and Catwoman ran for Wayne Tower, heading inside.

"Good luck, Victor" he said, before following.

"If I die Bruce, please save Nora" Freeze called out.

Firefly darted for them. "Where do you think you're going?"

Freeze fired his gun.

Firefly spun to the side and slammed into one of the buildings.

"What's this?" he asked. "Oh, if it isn't my old buddy Mr. Freeze. Teaming up again for some fire and ice are we?"

"No" Freeze replied. "You and I are not friends today. Today, we are enemies"

Firefly kicked off from the wall and hovered slowly over the road.

"My fire will melt your ice, Freeze. Consider your chances against me"

"I don't need to. We are done talking"

Freeze fired his gun again.

Firefly flew around the street, avoiding the freezing power coming from Freeze's gun. The buildings turned to ice, they cracked and chunks of them fell to the ground; smashing across the road.

Firefly flew over freeze. He fired his gun, Freeze leaped out of way just as a pillar of fire burned the ground where he stood.

Freeze fired his gun. Firefly wasn't fast enough to dodge it, so he fired his own gun. The burst of flames met with the freezing power from freeze's gun.

The two colliding powers created a blue-orange glow around the street. The fire melted the ice and water fell to the ground, random bursts of fire or ice struck like lightning into buildings, cars and the road.

Freeze pressed some buttons on his gun and rolled to the side, flame jetting past him. He fired his gun, and sharp spears of ice shot at Firefly.

Firefly fired his gun at the spears and melted them. They were close though, they almost impaled him.

"New technology?" Firefly asked.

"Courtesy of Wayne" Freeze asked. "And that's not all I have"

Freeze pressed some buttons on his wrist and there was a low whirring sound. His armor had been fitted with a jetpack, he slowly rose off the ground. There was a tradeoff to this armor upgrade; the jetpack took up a lot of its power, he would have to defeat Firefly quickly.

"Don't think that your equals with me just because you can fly" Firefly said. There was anger in his voice, he wasn't happy with this.

Freeze fired more ice spears at Firefly. He flew out of the way and fired a burst of flame at Freeze, Freeze dodged it.

The two circled each other, firing their guns. Each burst of flames or shot of ice missed their target, colliding into buildings or going off somewhere else.

Freeze's power beeped, it was low.

Damn, he had to finish this.

He flew straight up, just as another burst of flame headed for him.

He kept on flying, high above the road; soon he'll be high above Gotham City.

"Don't you fly away from me you coward!" Firefly yelled, and gave chase.

Freeze was suddenly higher than Gotham's tallest building and all the smoke that covered the city; much higher. It was deep into the night now, the stars were shining up here, and it looked like there were rain clouds on the way.

Freeze looked back, Firefly was still after him.

He charged his gun up to full power and fired it into the sky above him. What the freezing power was doing was unseen as clouds covered the way.

Freeze needed Firefly to get higher for this to work.

"You'll burn up here, Freeze" Firefly threatened. He fired his gun; a burst of flame was slowly reaching up to Freeze's feet.

A little higher. Freeze thought, just a little higher.

The flames reached Freeze.

"Your mine now" Firefly laughed.

The flames suddenly died down. Freeze heard Firefly grunt below him, and chuckled.

"What? What is this?" Firefly grunted. His armor was starting to freeze up and malfunction.

"You should learn the ways of the cold, Firefly" Freeze said. His armor was unaffected by the cold up here, and he flew back down towards Gotham. Above where Freeze had just been, heading straight for Firefly was a giant boulder of ice; the bottom of it was sharp.

Firefly's armor stopped working completely, it was all frozen.

"No, Noooo!" he screamed as the ice boulder fell into him, the sharp point impaling him. Blood spurted out from the armor and froze in the air, more blood covered over the tip of the ice that stuck through him.

There was silence from him. All there was the falling, whoosing sound of the ice boulder. It neared Gotham City, and great shards of ice shattered as it smashed into the road, Firefly crushed beneath it all.

Chunks of ice were scattered across the road. Mr. Freeze landed down in front of Wayne Tower, and took one look back at his defeated foe.

"Your flames of chaos have been doused" he said, and headed inside Wayne Tower.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Batman, Red Hood and Catwoman left Mr. Freeze to deal with Firefly.

The inside of Wayne Tower was much worse than last year. It was all destruction and death, a few balloons and party streamers left here and there.

Hood looked to his right, and noticed an open door leading down to the below ground floors; a green question mark painted on it.

"I'll go after Riddler" he said, taking out his gun and heading for the door; he was gone.

Batman grabbed hold of Catwoman and fired his grapnel hook at the upper floor overlooking the lower one. Just as they climbed over the railing, a giant hammer came down between them; they jumped out of the way before it got them.

"Sorry toots, but only the B Man can see Mister J right now" Harley Quinn said, lifting her hammer back up.

"That's fine, I was looking to scratch you up anyway" Catwoman replied.

Harley Quinn brought her hammer back down on Catwoman who leaped back down onto the lower floor.

Batman entered the lifts and left the two to fight.

Catwoman looked back up. Harley Quinn was falling towards her with her Hammer raised over her head. Catwoman let her whip out and it caught around Harley's ankle, she pulled the girl clown and she flew halfway across the room.

Harley struggled to get back up. Catwoman walked over to her.

"Now Harley, we can make this easy…"

The hammer suddenly came up a got Catwoman in her gut. Catwoman screamed as she was sent up into the air, and back down again.

"Or we can just do this my way" Harley laughed, standing back up. "What's the time? Hammer time!"

She brought the hammer down, Catwoman rolled out of the way. There was large, cracked hole in the floor where she had been.

Catwoman clawed at Harley's foot. The poor girl dropped the hammer and hopped on one foot, holding her clawed one and crying in pain.

"That's not fair" she cried.

"We're girls" Catwoman replied. "We don't play fair"

And with that, Catwoman kicked Harley in her stomach. Harley went flying back, skidding on the ground.

"Now, let's try this again" Catwoman said, walking to Harley. Just as she loomed over Harley, the clown revealed a rocket launcher that had been strapped over her shoulder the whole time and aimed it right into Catwoman's face.

"Oh for fu.."

Harley fired.

Catwoman leaned back and watched as the rocket blew up the ceiling. Debris started falling; Catwoman and Harley ran to opposite sides of the room.

Catwoman hid in a corner, hands over her head. When she stood back up, the entire floor was underneath the floor above the ceiling now which had collapsed.

As the dust cleared, another rocket headed for Catwoman.

She ran and leaped into the pile of debris; far enough away from harm cut she felt the force of the explosion.

Catwoman stood back up again, and a red boxing glove came out of nowhere. It 'punched' her square in the face, knocking her near unconscious. Catwoman lay on the ground, groaning and dazed.

The boxing glove returned to its origin; a spring loaded gun belonging to Harley.

"Ding ding, your out" Harley laughed, walking up to Catwoman.

Harley stood over Catwoman and aimed the boxing glove gun directly into her. The force might smash Chatwoman's head into the ground.

"What happened to you Harley, you used to be fun" Catwoman groaned through a blood trickling down her nose.

"Hey, I'm still fun" Harley retorted. "What happened to _you_? You used to be one of us, one of the cool guys. Then you went all lovey dovey with the B Man"

"What can I say, I like big strong men"

"Their gross, too big for my liking"

Catwoman coughed and spat blood. "Didn't you and Poison Ivy have something going on, she seemed a better choice than the Joker if you ask me"

"Hey! If your gonna have green, you need purple"

"So…you and Riddler?"

"What? No, he's too dumb to be with me!"

Catwoman did her best not too laugh.

"Okay then…are you going to finish me off, or are you going to tell me more about your love life?" Catwoman asked.

"I'll tell you about my love life. I am going to love splattering your dirty, kitten head all over the ground" Harley answered, steadying her aim.

"Kitty hater" Catwoman chuckled.

Harley fired the boxing glove.

Catwoman was fast. She grabbed the boxing glove, pulled Harley over her and quickly stood back up. Harley was about to get back up, Catwoman leaped on top of her smacked the butt of her whip into her jaw, knocking the girl out.

Catwoman stood back, panting.

There was a loud crash from outside. Something had just fallen into the road; a giant boulder made of ice that smashed to bits as it hit the ground.

Catwoman took a deep breath, smiled; and then passed out.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Red Hood moved down the stairs leading to the below ground levels of Wayne Enterprises.

There was a double glass door that had been smashed through as he made the last step. Long rows of tables and workbenches were down here and had been ransacked through for blueprints, prototypes and other Wayne related tech. the lighting was somewhat dim; some of the lights had been broken.

Riddler was down here somewhere.

Hood had his gun aimed and ready. He didn't know Riddler too well; he had to be ready for anything.

There was a beeping. A number of beepings actually, Hood didn't know what it was; he decided not to worry about it.

Hood moved further into the room. He stepped on something that cracked under his feet, there was a gasp from somewhere.

"Who's there?" someone called out.

"No one" Hood lied.

There was a chuckle. "I didn't think you'd get here so soon, Bruce"

The lights suddenly went out; Riddler had shut them off.

"It's not much, but I might be able to counter your night vision skills. I just might" the Riddler said.

"Are you confusing me with Batman?" Hood asked, pulling night vision goggles out from inside his jacket.

"What? You're not the Dark Knight?"

"Nope, someone else" Hood replied, putting the goggles on. He could now see the room in dark green.

There was silence as Hood moved about the room, gun aimed.

"I think I know who you are" Riddler said. "I've heard from my men that there was a certain…red hooded person fighting alongside Batman. Is this Jason Todd I'm talking to, who took on the alias of this Red Hood?"

"No, not even close" Hood replied. "I'm a good guy"

"So was Jason, he was just a bit…crazy. Are _you_ crazy?"

"Maybe…do you feel safe being in the same room with a crazy person?"

"I come from the cells of Arkham, don't get your hopes up"

Hood stopped. He had an idea.

"So, you like riddles?" he asked.

"oh ho, you have no idea" came the reply.

"Care to share some?"

There was a pause.

"What's the deal?" Riddler asked.

"The deal? I get the right answer, you make finding you easier for me. I get it wrong…well, do as you please"

Riddler laughed. "very well then, let's see if you are a high intelligence like the Dark Knight.

Riddle me this; what is always coming but never here?"

Hood kept his gun aimed, but thought the riddle over in his head. Something that's always coming, but never here.

He scanned the room. Hopefully he'd be able to find Riddler and just do him in now, or perhaps even find something to help him with the Riddle.

Hood shook his head, he had no clue.

"I give up" he said.

Riddler chuckled from somewhere close.

"The answer is something you won't be seeing now" Riddler sneered. "The answer is…TOMMOROW!"

Hood dropped his gun and fell forward in pain as something hard hit him in the back. He rolled over and saw Riddler raising his question mark cane up; Hood grabbed it as it came down and kicked Riddler in the shin.

Riddler fell forward. Hood lifted both his legs up to stop Riddler from falling on him, and catapulted the man over him.

"Cheater" Riddler grunted as he stood back up. He aimed his own gun at Hood just as he was about to charge him. "No, I can't allow that. Now, we play this my way"

"Give me the next one then" Hood panted.

He could make out Riddler smiling through his night vision. "I'll make it easy for you, since you seem to have a much lower intelligence than I anticipated. Riddle me this, I have a head, a tail but no legs…what am I?"

Hood chuckled. "I got that one in fourth grade. It's a coin"

"Oh, so you do have some brain cells after all. Congratulations, take one step forward"

Hood did as he was told, cautiously.

"Next riddle. What's something that no one wants to have, but no one wants to lose?"

Hood paused, and thought.

He kept his eyes on Riddler, but tilted his head slightly. Something no one wants to have, but no one wants to lose. He smiled, he had it.

"A lawsuit" he said.

Riddler grunted. "Clever, one step closer"

Hood took a step.

"What's green and goes boom?" he asked.

Hood laughed. "A grenade"

"One step closer, one last riddle"

Hood smiled, this was too easy.

"Riddle me this; what else goes boom?"

Hood wasn't in thought in time. He was confusion, that didn't sound like a riddle at all; more like a question.

The lights turned on. Hood's eyes seared with pain as he took the night vision goggles off, he threw them away. When his vision returned, he looked around the room and noticed black boxes everywhere, explosives, _that's_ what else goes boom.

"As you can see" Riddler said, jabbing his cane into Hood's gut. Hood keeled over and put his arms over his stomach. "This building is set to blow in…exactly three minutes. I will have escaped, while Batman and the Joker battle it out someplace else in this building. When it blows…I will have won this war of Gotham, and I will have defeated the dark knight detective"

Hood crawled for one of the explosives.

"And don't try shutting it off. They respond only to my touch, anyone else, wearing a glove or not, are asking for a one way trip to oblivion"

Hood chuckled.

"You find it funny?"

"I have a riddle for you" Hood replied. "What's green and goes arghh!"

Riddler shook his head.

"You!"

Hood kicked Riddler in the shin again. Riddler fell forward, fired his gun which Hood dodged. Hood shot back up beside Riddler and karate chopped him on the back of the neck.

Riddler was knocked out, with an 'arghh!'

Hood looked around the room. He had to tell the others and get out of here; he looked at Riddler, picked him up and ran back out of the room.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Batman entered the elevator, leaving Catwoman to deal with Harley Quinn.

The doors shut behind him. The elevator began to rise; there were no lights.

Batman looked around. A TV screen lit up in front of him, two more beside him.

Joker was on it.

"Hey there bats" Joker greeted from all three sides. "I thought that, since it takes a long and boring time for this elevator to reach the top I'd put together a little…well, for lack of a better word, memory video"

Batman frowned.

"I hope you know what that means. Anyway, where to begin. Oh! Let's start with me, back in my old days before I became this handsome fellow. I don't know if you heard about this from some certain, recently dead hulking fellow…Marshall was it? Oh well, who cares?

Anyway, I was in the employ of one of the big bad boys who used to run this town. I had the task to…I hope your excited, this is where you come in…I had the task to kill off Gotham City's wealthiest family, your mummy and daddy. Now, something like that would of brought a lot of heat on to me, I didn't want that; I'm not good with the paparazzi!

So, I hired some street bum named Joe Chill to do the job. And who was left behind, but the little bat to be named Bruce Wayne. Some years passed, I left crime to spend time with amazing wife, then I was forced back into crime as the Red Hood…well, you know the rest from there…

Tell me bats, how does it fell that we created each other. I hope you find it…funny, because well I do…then again, I find everything funny. Crippling Barbara, twisting Jason Todd, getting Zsasz to chop the lst Robin up into little, tiny pieces, it's all a big laugh, isn…"

Batman punched the screen in front of him.

"Oh for pete's sake, that TV cost a lot" said the two remaining Jokers. "And it was one of your own companies, now that's just selfish. This is all the stuff your parents left behind for you

Batman punched the one to his left.

One more screen. Joker looked at Batman with a wicked smile.

"Am I getting on your nerves, bats?" he asked slyly. "Am I finally…breaking you? Is it the little mummy daddy issue?"

Batman had his tilted and was panting heavily.

"Just so you know, you can talk to me. tell me, what's on your mind right now"

Batman looked up at Joker. "What's on my mind? I'll tell you" he said. "I'm wondering, if I'll be able to hold myself back from killing you this time"

Joker widened his smile; he could see the anger in Batman.

"Oh really. Well then…let's…find…out!"

And with that, the screens shut off.

The elevator came to a stop. The doors opened and Batman stepped out onto the roof of Wayne Tower; it was only a year ago that he had a fight with Joker up here, and now he was up here again.

Joker was at the edge of the roof, watching over the burning Gotham City.

"It's beautiful isn't it" Joker asked as Batman began to approach him. "I must be a lucky guy to be seeing the whole of Gotham burn, twice in just over a year"

"It ends here Joker" Batman said. "Once and for all"

"Oh please, you've said that so many times I've lost count" Joker retorted, turning to face Batman. He was wearing a large purple coat that made him look too large. "If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it years ago. You would of seen I was executed after all the chaos I've created since"

"You know me, I don't go that down that road" Batman argued. "But today, I'm really considering taking it. Don't push me today, Joker"

Joker smiled. "What, I haven't pushed you enough? Very well then, if pushing won't do, how about a PUNCH!"

A giant boxing glove suddenly shot out from Joker's left sleeve. Batman wasn't quick enough to dodge it; the boxing glove slammed him back into the elevator doors.

Batman pushed himself up and watched as the boxing glove returned to the coat sleeve.

"Last year that Jokerinator didn't go too well" Joker said, taking off his coat. "This year, I pulled another one apart and made it into body armor…with a few little add ons of my own"

Joker revealed the armor underneath his coat. He wore chest armor painted to look like his suit, about a dozen mini missiles on the shoulders. His left arm was the giant boxing glove, and the right arm was what looked like a clawed hand and a gattling gun around the wrist.

Batman was looking Joker straight in the face now.

"Joker" he grunted. "this fight is going to be our last…that, I can guarantee you"

"I am all too happy to agree" Joker replied, cocking the gattling gun. "So, let's introduce ourselves…our real selves, Bruce"

Batman stood up straight.

"I am Harold 'Jack' Napier" Joker proclaimed proudly. "Better known as the Clown Prince of Crime… the one and only, Joker"

"And I am Bruce Wayne" Batman replied. "The Caped Crusader, The Dark Knight...I am Batman"


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Batman charged at Joker.

Joker fired his boxing glove again. Batman leaped over and kept running; as he neared, Joker batted him away with the clawed armed.

Batman skidded across the roof and quickly shot back up. He leaped out of the way as Joker fired the gattling gun, the bullets were ripping through the bottom of his cape as he ran for safety.

He hid behind an air duct and took out a remote control batarang.

"Come out little bats" Joker taunted.

The boxing glove suddenly smashed through the air duct and got Batman in the back. Blood flew from his mouth as he was thrown over the edge of the roof.

Batman spun in mid air and faced Wayne Tower. He fired his grapnel gun, the hook latched onto the edge of the roof and he shot upwards. As he neared, he straightened his body, retracted the hook and shot straight up above Wayne Tower; the Joker was below him.

Batman spread out his cape to form wings, turned, and flew straight for Joker.

There was another surprise for Batman. Joker _fired_ the claw on in his right arm; it was a grapnel hook of his own.

Batman wasn't quick enough. The claw grabbed him and he was unable to struggle free, the Joker brought him down like lightning into the roof.

Batman was dazed. He looked around as he lay on the roof.

Joker still had his claw around Batman and started dragging him towards him. Batman was suddenly being held up by Joker, bruised and bleeding.

"I always wondered what it be like to hold you up," Joker said. "bit of a switcheroo, isn't it?"

Batman grunted and punched Joker twice in the face.

Joker cracked his neck as he turned his head back to face Batman.

"Oh please, that stuff is getting old" he taunted, tossing Batman to the side. Batman skidded and tried to get back.

He screamed as his left leg suddenly seared with pain. He kneeled and looked down, Joker had fired his gattling gun right through his leg; blood was trickling down from four holes.

"Is it really all that easy?" Joker asked himself, walking towards Batman. "I should've thought of this years ago. But oh, then all the fun might have been gone"

Batman stood, struggling to ignore the pain in his leg; he almost stumbled over. He aimed his grapnel hook at Joker and fire, it caught into the clowns' chest armor and he zipped towards him.

Joker fired his boxing glove and it hit Batman, sending him flying back; he lost the grapnel gun.

Batman panted as he lay first on the roof, blood running from his mouth and nose. His whole body was searing with pain.

He pushed himself back up again and turned to face Joker.

The boxing glove came at him again.

Batman quickly stepped to the side, the boxing glove stopped beside him. Before it retracted, Batman took out a gadget and sprayed a gel of some sort on the boxing glove. Then he grabbed the boxing glove and it pulled him towards Joker as it retracted; he brought a strong kick to the clowns' face as he leaped over him, Joker fell backwards.

As Batman steadied himself as he landed back down, the Joker stood back, laughing.

"Oh ho, now were talking" he cackled. "Ready for another?" he asked, aiming the boxing glove.

"Are you?" Batman asked back, his thumb over the button on the gel-gun.

Joker squinted and looked at the boxing glove. "Oh, that stuff"

Batman pressed the button.

The gel exploded. Joker was blown back, the boxing glove was destroyed.

"We are really talking, now" Joker laughed as he stood back, shaking the destroyed boxing glove off him. "Oh, I forgot about my missiles" he said.

Crap. Batman was hoping it'd stay that way.

….

Back down on the ground level…

Red Hood carried Riddler over his shoulder back out into the main foyer.

Freeze was there, helping Catwoman to her feet.

"We need to get out of here, now!" Hood warned. "Sleepy here's armed the bottom of the building to explode"

"Can't you disarm them?" Freeze asked.

"No…Wayne Tower is history" Hood replied.

"Right. Can you walk?" Freeze asked Catwoman.

"No" Catwoman replied. "I think I lost one of my lives back there, and it took my leg with it"

"Very well"

Freeze lifted Catwoman over his shoulder

"Get Harley" she said.

Freeze knelt down and picked up the unconscious Harley, carrying her on his other shoulder.

"How come you get the girls?" Hood asked.

"Just run" Freeze ordered, and led Hood to the exit.

"Wait, Bruce!" Catwoman suddenly gasped.

"There's not enough time, he'll have to save himself"

….

On the roof, the fight continued…

Joker pressed a button on his chest armor. A single missile fired from his shoulder and headed for Batman.

Batman leaped out of the way. The missile exploded behind him and he was blown across the roof, slamming into the elevator doors; the small missile packed a big punch.

There was a hole where had been, burning.

"Another you say? Only to happy to oblige" Joker laughed, and another missile fired.

Batman was quicker this time. He ran, leaped and rolled away from the elevator before the missile destroyed it; he hid under his cape as bits of it flew at him.

"What's that? You want the lot? Oh, why not"

Joker fired the rest of the missiles; they flew in all different directions.

Batman just ran. The missiles could hit anywhere, so he just ran.

There were several explosions across the roof. Joker was laughing out loud as Batman dodged missile after missile, explosion after explosion. One exploded in front of him and he was blown back.

Batman lay on the ground, groaning and turning his head. He stood back up again and felt the pain in his wounded leg return; all the running had done it something bad.

The entire roof was on fire. He could make out the joker through the flames, smiling that wicked smile and chuckling.

Batman stood back up.

There sudden sounds of explosion. They weren't here though; they were somewhere lower in Wayne Tower.

"More tricks, Joker?" batman yelled.

"No" Joker replied, looking around. He smiled "But, something tells me this is gonna be fun"

….

The crowd gathered in the streets watched. They watched as the roof of Wayne Tower exploded, watched as the bottom of Wayne Tower exploded.

Freeze and Red Hood arrived, carrying Catwoman, Harley Quinn and Riddler over their shoulders. They turned, panting, and watched as well.

Watched, as Wayne Tower began to fall

….

Batman and Joker both fell over.

Batman stood back up. Something was wrong, very wrong.

Suddenly, Wayne Tower began to fall.

The building fell eastwards, towards at least two more blocks of the city.

Batman slid down the roof, Joker behind him. he stepped off what was the left of the side and fell with the building.

Batman spread his cape to form the wings, and began to glide.

"where are you going, bats!"

Joker fell on Batman and closed the wings, they were both falling together now.

They fell just a bit faster than the building, debris passing them, almost hitting them.

"Come on Bats" Joker laughed as Batman struggled to break free. "You always dive. Teach me how to dive!"

Batman swung his head back, shaking Joker off him.

He tried to glide again.

Pain shot through his chest. Time slowed down as he watched the bullets dripping with blood fly through his body. His mouth dropped open, no sound came out. His eyes were wide, but he saw nothing.

Blood flew up behind him as he continued to fall. Something grabbed him around the waist and he was being pulled; Joker had caught him with the claw again.

He faced the Joker. It was all he could see apart from a blurred image of the collapsing Wayne Tower.

The Joker was laughing, but he couldn't hear it.

He just kept…falling


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Gordon, Barbara, Alfred, Catwoman, Freeze, Hood, the Justice League and every other spectator watched in horror.

Wayne Tower had fallen into the city, demolishing every building in its path.

Dust, ash and smoke all rose up into the night sky; not that it changed the already smoke covered sky anyway.

They all held onto their breaths. Some mouthed words, "Please, Please" and "Oh my God"

Catwoman was on her feet now, cowl off to reveal the bruised face of Selina Kyle.

Tears were started to come to her eyes.

Soon, Wayne Tower finally reached the ground. Dust swarmed through the streets and covered everyone unexpectedly in grey.

When they opened their eyes, a lot more buildings had been damaged. The force of the impact of the building crumbling to the ground had destroyed several blocks, the buildings already badly damaged from the war.

They looked around, looked at the sight of Gotham.

Hood and Freeze put Riddler and Harley down, Hood supported Catwoman.

There was laughing in the distance. That unmistakable laugh and everyone walked, scaringly, towards it.

….

The Joker. Covered in grey and blood, stood on top of what remained of Wayne Tower.

His laugh was the most wildest he ever laughed

He looked down as a crowd gathered. Citizens of Gotham and the Justice League.

"Come one, come all!" He yelled out. "It's the most anticipated event in history, the Bat has lost his wings and has fallen to the ground…DEAD! HA HA HA HA!"

Gordon grunted and made to run at the Joker, Hood held him back.

"You lie!" Gordon yelled out.

"But it's true, ol jim boy. Just look, LOOK!" Joker yelled, arms out wide; he still had his armor on. There was nothing but debris and the damn clown standing on top of it. "You see me, standing here, victorious. Not Batman, Not Bruce Wayne, ME!"

Tears started coming to everyone's eyes, Catwoman fell to her knees and was breathing heavily.

A dazed Riddler and Harley Quinn joined the crowd, although they were well away from them.

"Citizens of Gotham, idiots of the Justice League…you've all been a wonderful audience" Joker said, taking a bow.

There was a noise behind him.

Joker looked back.

An unmistakable fist had punched through the debris. Batman pulled himself out, covered in grey and bloodied, his suit ripped and torn.

He fell to his knees and panted, blood dripping from the bullet wounds in his chest. He ignored the pain and stood back up, stumbling towards Joker.

"Well well, looks like we'll have an encore. Oh joy!" Joker laughed, aiming his gattling gun.

Batman through a batarang and it stuck into the chest armor.

Joker looked down. "Ha ha, missed" he said.

He was suddenly electrocuted; the batarang sent a shock through him.

Joker ripped the armor off and fell to his knees, panting.

"Oh, you still got some huh?" Joker said. He took an iron knuckle out of his pocket and slipped on his left hand. In his right hand, he held his favorite crowbar. "Alright, let's put on one last show for the audience then"

Batman kept walking. His right hand was behind his back, hiding whatever weapon he was going to use on the Joker.

People were trying to get in to help Batman. The Justice League held them back.

Harley started running up to her Mister J, crawling slowly up the pile of debris. Riddler tried to get up as well, talking to himself "He's mine, Joker. He's mine"

Batman neared Joker. The clown punched Batman in the gut and he keeled over into Joker, who swung the crowbar repeatedly into Batman's back; he grunted each time.

Batman pushed Joker away from him, they both almost fell over.

Taking one last look at each other, they leaped at each other.

Silence.

There was a long moment of silence.

Harley reached the top of the pile, now staggering towards Joker.

Joker staggered back from Batman and dropped his crowbar and iron knuckle.

He looked down. Two batarangs had been impaled into him, blood trickled down his body. He gasped, and laughed. He looked back up and saw Batman giving him one final, threatening stare.

"We both get the last laugh?" he gasped. "Now that's…that's pretty funny…"

Joker's eyes closed and he fell backwards.

Harley and caught the clown. She cried as she looked into the dead, smiling face of her Mister J.

"Nooo, no, please noo" she cried, digging her head into Joker's chest.

Batman walked slowly forward, standing on the edge of the Wayne Tower ruins.

Everyone was looking up at him.

Thunder clapped. Rain came down.

Batman fell forward and rolled down the ruins, stopping just a few meters away from everyone.

Catwoman dropped to her knees beside him and lifted his head up.

"Bruce, please…please" she cried.

"Selina" Batman gasped. "My mask…take it off"

Selina did as she was told and took Batman's mask off, putting it down carefully.

Bruce Wayne looked up into the eyes of Selina, looked at everyone else gathered around him.

They all nodded to him. Gordon, Red Hood, Freeze, the Justice League. Everyone nodded, tears in their eyes.

Bruce looked back to Selina, and she brought his face up for one final kiss.

As they broke, Bruce felt life leave him.

Bruce Wayne, Batman…was dead.

Selina cried as she rocked back and forth gently, holding Bruce in her arms.


	21. Chapter 20: FINAL CHAPTER

Chapter 20

It was less than a week after.

Smoke had gone from the sky, but it was still grey with light rain; weather fit for a funeral

The citizens of Gotham had returned to Gotham City. The longest street in the city was packed with people.

The Justice League and other superheroes', every citizen of Gotham, citizens from other cities and state leaders were gathered in Gotham.

The buildings had TV screens of what was happening at the end of the street.

At the end, where the ruins of Wayne Tower were, a stage had been set up.

Gordon, the Mayor, the president of the United States and Superman all stood, eyes red with sadness.

In the front, Kevin Napier and his girlfriend Hailey, Mister Freeze, Selina Kyle, Barbara Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth all stood, looking up to the stage. Other her

In the middle of the stage was a coffin, the cowl of Batman placed gently on it.

Gordon was the first to step up to the podium. He took a deep breath, and spoke.

"Well, Gotham…people from other cities, the Justice League…Mr. President. I'm not quite sure how to start; I'm at a…loss for words. Today, we mourn not only for the death of Bruce Wayne, the Batman…but we also mourn for the people who lost their lives in the chaos that has ensued over the past two years. Families and friends mourn the loss of their loved ones…but everyone mourns the loss of Gotham's defender.

I remember when I first met Batman. Gotham city was a dark place, filled with crime and corruption. And when he came, it all changed. Batman put his life on the line, for every citizen of Gotham, to bring justice to our streets; something the GCPD couldn't do alone. And now, old friend…we say farewell to you"

Gordon, shaking and tearful, sat back down. The President was the next one to step up to the podium.

"Good people of Gotham" he said, trying to stand proud. "When news first reached my ears a few days ago, of Batman's, Bruce Wayne's, death…I felt that America, no, the world, had lost one of its greatest treasure's. He, and the Justice League, had aided me in defending this country from so called supervillains that vie to rule or destroy this world.

I don't think I ever thanked him personally, and I regret it. But I don't regret that he, possibly the only human in the Justice league, risked everything to protect us. Godspeed to Heaven, dear friend"

The President sat back down, almost going into the same emotional state as Gordon.

Finally, it was Superman's turn. The cries and heavy breathing from the crowd quieted down.

"First, I must apologize" Superman admitted. "That, in Batman's greatest battle, we did not help. But it's what he asked for; for the Justice League to stay out of this one. I protested so did others, but he urged us to agree with him. it was hard, to stand by and watch…my friend fight to his death.

And not only did Gotham lose it's hero, but the Justice League lost it's leader. People see me as the leader, no…no. to be the leader of the Justice League, the defenders of Earth, you have to be born on Earth…if ever there was a leader, it was Batman. In our darkest hours, the verges of defeat, he was the one there to pull us out of it.

People of Gotham, America, and the world. Please, let us be silent this moment as we remember our fallen hero Bruce Wayne…Batman"

The crowds were silence. There were small outburst of cries, but the silence was too great. It was the same across the country, where the funeral was shown. Every city, every American, even other countries fell silent.

In other places, there was celebration.

….

At Arkham Asylum, inmates cheered on the death of the Dark Knight. They had to be the only happiest people in the world right now.

The security were powerless. They allowed the inmates to run wild in the cell blocks, but kept their guns ready to kill.

One cell block was quiet. The followers of Joker had a funeral of their own, Harley Quinn dressed in black and hugging a badly stitched doll of her Mister J; she cried the most.

In another, celebrating cell, Edward Nygma kept quiet.

He sat on his bed; cell doors closed, and stared at the floor in gloom.

"You were to be mine to defeat" he muttered. "Not the Clown's, mine"

He looked up at the wall with the ultimate riddle scribbled on it, and it's answer.

He chuckled.

"But, now there is a new challenge for me. a new riddle"

A picked up a dirty cloth, washed it dirty water in his sink and wiped the wall clean. Then he took up a green crayon on his bed and wrote on the wall.

WHO IS RED HOOD

"A new riddle, a new enemy" he said to himself, and weakly smiled. "Let's see if you can live up to the skills of Dark Knight…and still fail my challenges"

….

One day after the funeral

Kevin looked around the Batcave. It had not been used in almost a year, but every computer and light still worked fine. Alfred dusted off some files, looking through them; Hailey stayed near Kevin as he moved around the room, arms around herself.

"So, this is the famous Batcave huh?" Kevin asked.

"Indeed sir" Alfred replied. He squinted, the keyboard at the bat computer was not dusty; someone had been typing. He pressed the ENTER key.

"To whom it may concern, I say hello" Said Bruce, a recorded video on the computer. "If you are watching this, then the worst has come to pass and I am dead. If that is the case, then I want you to ask Kevin something…I want you to ask him if he would do the honor of taking my place as Gotham's defender as his chosen alias the Red Hood.

The choice is completely up to him, but if he accepts, then there is a task for you. I need you to train him further. Obviously not in combat, but in the fields that you taught me; there are others who can teach him combat, stealth and detective skills, I have left a list of such people near the computer.

If he doesn't accept, don't judge him…good bye Alfred"

The video ended.

"Good bye…sir" Alfred said, wiping away tears. He turned around to face Kevin, who had also been watching. "Well, sir?"

Kevin looked at Hailey. "It's your choice" she said, with a smile.

Kevin gave her a quick kiss.

"Let's see this list, Alfred" he said.

"Of course, sir"

….

one week after the funeral

Freeze sat at his desk. His lab was in Arkham Asylum, where he can continue his work on finding a cure for Nora; whose cryogenic container was also in the room.

The room was cold. His armor was off and he wore a lab coat.

Thoughts went through his head. He dwelled on continuing work, but also on the death of his unlikely ally and friend.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come" Freeze answered.

The guard stuck his head in. "You have a visitor" he said.

"Let him in" Freeze ordered, standing up to greet his visitor. The man walked in and Freeze was taken by surprise. "Well then, what business do you have with me…Ra's Al Ghul?"

"Friendly business" Ra's replied, taking slow steps towards Freeze. "The news of my enemie's death reached me quickly, and I have simply come to pay my respects"

"I'm not convinced" Freeze replied.

Ra's smiled. "I come here a changed man, Victor Fries. The recent events have led me to an epiphany: I can never rid the world of it's crime and insanity"

"What led you to that?"

"A deceased doctor by the name of Marshall, I believe, shared the same dream as I did. Ridding this world of it's evil, one city at a time. But, he was evil himself. He allied himself with the maniacs in this city, and became one himself…is this, what I am becoming? To rid the world of it's horror, only to become such a horror?"

Freeze nodded, he was convinced now.

"Very well then. What business do you have with me?" he asked again.

"I have heard stories of your endless search for a cure for your wife. I admire a man who puts everything on the line to save something that means the world to him…I am here to help your search"

"What do you mean?" Freeze asked, suddenly interested.

"I have lived for over six centuries, thanks to my Lazarus pits. I believe that with them, and you research, you can save your wife…and possibly others of incurable diseases; a new way for me to save this world. Are you interested?"

Freeze observed the hand held out in front of him, and gladly shook it; the men both smiled.

"So, tell me more of these Lazarus Pits"

….

Gotham Cemetry. One week after the

Selina Kyle kneeled at the large grave for Bruce Wayne, Batman. She had come here every day since the funeral, some days with Gordon, Alfred, Barabara or Kevin; even her daughter Holly. Members of the Justice League had paid their respects then went off to fight their own battles, quite reluctantly actually.

Flowers and photo's had been left here day after day by citizens of Gotham and many others.

Selina left something different on the grave. It was an old batarang with blood that looked years old.

"Our first date" Selina smiled, and placed it gently on the ground. She stood up, looked at the sunset and then one last look at Batman's grave before leaving, tears in her eyes.

The sun slowly went down, night fell on Gotham. A night without Batman, and yet, it was peaceful.

That same night.

Gordon stood on top of the new GCPD building. He chewed on his cigar, looking over the rooftops that were somewhat lower than the GCPD. Out of his coat, he took out a bottle of whiskey that was at least over two decades old.

"I was saving this, for when we finally beat the crime in this town" he said to himself. "No point in keeping it"

He dropped it. The glass smashed over the stone roof, whiskey splashing over.

He turned around to a spotlight and turned it on; he smiled weakly as the bat signal shone into the Gotham night sky for the last time.


End file.
